In the comments I wrote this edited less 2,900 words that originally written:

I'm a mid-western woman and a Chinese Buddhist
bhikshuni. I do believe your article not
based on realistic numbers or any numbers as you stated in the first paragraph.

I do not see what you are claiming. Just because something is marketed in
Shambala Sun, Tricylce, and Buddhadharma does not make it as well-known as you
claim. TB Westerners are really good
business people. It is remarkable how ad
orentated these rags are, little content in them.

I do not agree with you.
Chinese Buddhism is about 160 years old in the USA and came with the
Chinese immigrants working on the USA railroads. TB is relatively new since the rush of
English print books in the mid-90s only featured Japanese Buddhism and Tibetan
Buddhism by said rags.

Why we are not seen, maybe we are not desirable maybe not as
marketable. US Media and religious organizations claiming diversity does not
include us in all its so-called coverage of religion. It is because somehow
Western people lump Chinese Buddhism as part of the hated-CC; we are to be
hated for a government we are not a part of overseas and never were. Chinese does not equal Commies. But somehow that get played up in the
politics of those engaging in persecution of one ethnic group that followed
Buddhism for centuries. Our order survives because we understand Buddhist
culture, endure to save it, uphold our precepts, struggle for time to cultivate
and study on our own. We have always
mixed different Buddhist traditions in our temples, all forms. Most western
people don’t realize that, if they did take the time to really understand
Buddhist culture from a Sangha member’s view then they would really treasure
their time in temples everywhere.

Real advanced TB practice requires fluent Tibetan, high
level of reading skills in Tibetan Sanskrit, and great deal of time and
patience waiting so you can gain access to a highly achieved master who can
actually teach you well. These masters
are in demand and do not have time to dummy down for those too lazy to do
this. Most of the TB monks and very few
of the TB nuns have any degree of traditional TB monastic education; mostly
they are rim sitters which is sad for they cannot attain much levels at
all. Lots of this has to do with lack of
language ability, for you can’t train if you can’t understand. Interpreters cannot give you the details,
they are too pressed for time. I’m fluent in Chinese so I know this first hand,
at dharma talks you must be able to understand the high level masters very
detailed instructions or you gain nothing.

Tolerance of other cultures should be given to understand
how to excel in your Buddhist practice. It is not fair to say our Chinese
Buddhist communities demand conformity from Western people, they do not. They say over and over again, we do not want
you to think we want you to be Chinese when you come into our temple we want
you to be who you are, American. Every
temple says this even FGS, DDM, CTTB.
They have all races and all countries people in their communities, fully
accepted and fully ordained.

Realize there are Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai,
Burmese, and many more including Japanese (non Vinaya); there are new movements
too here in the USA that are all colors of people. The white elite it seems that is who you talk
about most, I think maybe so; is such a small number as not to matter in the
data about Buddhism here in the USA. In
all these temples from all these countries there are Americans who take refuge,
a few ordain and you got way more than that 12 that you say you eyeballed when
you visited 2 places. Please let me know
if you want to visit more diverse places now, I’ll send a recommendation for
you ahead of your visit. I say start with CTTB and then visit Thich Nhat Hahn’s
group in Deer Park.

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